The Spirit is Willing

Examine Yourself - Paul Washer

This is an excellent message given by Paul Washer. It's long but REALLY worth watching.

Healing

"Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise." ~ Jeremiah 17:14

(I wrote this about two weeks ago, it has just taken me a while to publish.)

Last Tuesday I had all of my wisdom teeth removed, the surgery itself wasn't bad but the next couple of days I felt pretty crummy. I got a cold and I felt pressure in my ears, and three of my lymph nodes were swollen. On Saturday I was up and around more but I felt really achy and tired. My head and jaw were really sore. I consumed a shameful amount of ice cream. It felt wonderful on my gums and it didn't taste bad either. :)

I went to church on Sunday and I was feeling better. The first song we sang was about God being our Healer- that spoke to me. I had been taking strong pain medication but had stopped using it and had taken an ibuprofen before the service but I didn't feel it working. :) I was feeling pretty sick. My head felt tired, sore, and my jaw hurt. In my heart I prayed to be healed from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.

After the time of worship our pastor spoke to me and told me that God wanted to reveal something to me during the service. As he was speaking to me I felt this warm sensation rise up my back. It was peaceful and gentle but strong and then I felt it rise to my neck. It was calming but at the same time powerful. The entire time he was speaking to me I felt it, I know it was the Holy Spirit's presence. It was like nothing I've ever felt before; it was a wonderful feeling. The warmth settled on my back and it calmed me. The tired, worn down feeling left me instantly. My headache was gone and I felt so much peace. Throughout the service I continued to feel better. I went home and even though it was still uncomfortable, eating was easier than it had been at breakfast. I didn't have to rest at all the remainder of the day; I didn't lay down once!

I wanted to share this with you to encourage you to trust God for healing.

When someone asked Jesus to heal them, He never once refused. I'm afraid we've set such low expectations on His power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His Holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits;

Who forgive all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases"

Psalm 103:3

"Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them."

Matthew 4:24

But there's one other thing I want to add before I hit the publish button; I've had a hip injury in my left leg from ballet for over two and a half years.  It hindered my flexibility and I had irritation when I sat for long periods of time. I was reading an excellent book the other night and the author told a story about a friend of hers whose spine was completely healed of scoliosis. It really inspired and encouraged me, so I asked the Lord to heal my hip. And I haven't had the least bit of pain since! Not only that but I also seem to have more flexibility in that leg!
I went out of town today and was on the road for about an hour and a half, and I didn't notice any irritation whatsoever! Praise God!

"Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you."
Matthew 7:7

Did I live My Live For You?

"At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by, 'I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.'" ~Mother Theresa

I don't want to waste my life on things that don't matter.

"When it's all been said and done, there is just one thing that matters.  Did I do my best to live for truth, did I live my life for You?"

Matthew 16:25
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it."

“I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.”

"No Compromise: The Life Story of Keith Green" has become one of my favorite books! Once I finish it I hope to do a review but until then I wanted to share some of my favorite Keith Green songs. It took a little while to get used to his style but I love it! I love the passion that is so evident it every song. "Rushing Wind" was my first favorite but "O Lord, You're Beautiful", "Make My Life a Prayer to You," and "No Compromise"  are a few other songs that I really enjoy. 

“If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence...? You'd be bored to tears in heaven, if you're not ecstatic about God now! ” 

“I'd rather have people hate me with the knowledge that I tried to save them.”

“I've never tried to be controversial. The truth is controversial enough.”

“If somebody writes a great poem, people don't run around applauding the pencil, saying 'Oh, what a great pencil'...I'm a pencil in God's hands.”

Make my life a prayer to you

 I want to do what you want me to

No empty words

And no white lies

No token prayers

No compromise

I want to thank You now for being patient with me
For it's so hard to see when my eyes are on me

I want to take Your light and shine it all around

But first help me just to live it Lord

And if I'm doing well help me to never seek a crown

Except to give all the glory to You

Rushing wind flow through this temple

Blowing out the dust within

Come and breathe Your breath upon me

For I've been born again

To obey is better than sacrifice

I don't need your money

I want your life

And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon

But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and My love so sweet

How you thrive on milk but reject My meat

And I can't help weeping at how it will be

If you keep on ignoring My Word

I Have a Shelter

Words of Wisdom

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”

― John Newton

“I have one desire now - to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”

― Elisabeth Elliot

“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

― Oswald Chambers

“It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God: but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes”

― Oswald Chambers

“I wish thy way.

And when in me myself should rise,

and long for something otherwise,

Then Lord, take sword and spear

And slay.”

― Amy Carmichael

“All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reackoned on God being with them.”

― Hudson Taylor

"I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back."